Dry Planet
by Simbrie Nytesky
Summary: What?! There's a limit to this summary thingy?? darn...ah welll. Yes, the older, real Gun Ho Guns have powas!!!! The story will explain why, and I think it makes sense....o.O. Yah, they had kidnapped Knives-kun! gasp! BRING ON THE BATTER!!!!
1. ~Within One Be Two~

A/N: I own nothing in here except for the ones I DO own. Trigun, and all related suchness belong to Yasuhiro Nightow. Ok, done with that, lemme tell you that I have seen all the episodes, but only understood up to episode 10 ^-^; because all the rest are in Japanese. I couldn't get my hands on the dubs.  
  
Dry Planet  
  
~Within One Be Two~  
  
Ever since the well spouted water, she knows he'll be back. Her partner and the rest of the crew had worked hard on that well, but even though, it is still a miracle so much water can be dug from the ground. She took that as a sign that he was still alive, that he won. Before the water was discovered, she was worried. She worried that he won't come back. But now she didn't have to worry.  
  
It was a sunny day; two figures were walking down the dirt roads of a small town. One of the figures is a tall, green-eyed brown-haired brunette. She was wearing a tan coat and a teal cloth shawl. The other woman next to her was short, her dark-haired head reaching only the tall one's shoulder. Her white suit clung comfortably to the petite body. The two walked down the road. They were just taking a walk, which the tall one suggested.  
  
"It's such a nice day, isn't it ma'am?" she asked.  
  
"Yes. It is." Replied the one in question, looking up at her friend's face, smiling. "I have a feeling Milly, that the reason you took me out wasn't to talk about the day. Come on, tell me the reason."  
  
"Hehe, ma'am, you know me too well…. I had a feeling that something really good is going to happen today." She smiled back down, her face full of child innocence. "My mother always told me to follow my instincts, and it has worked so far! Oooh…ma'am, I'm getting a little hungry, you think we can get some pudding?" Milly pleaded her friend as they rounded the corner and a food shop came to view.  
  
"Milly, you know that our money is running short…"she bit her lip. Darn it she thought. Don't look at me like that… but her partner's face was too much to resist, and she finally gave in. "Oh alright. Since today seems to be such a fine day."  
  
The two walked over to the shop, and Milly went straight to the counter. Obviously, she had done this before. The short one leaned against the wall, waiting for Milly, and found that she was drifting into her thoughts. When her mind drifts, it always leads to an image of—  
  
"Ma'am? Ma'am! Meryl!" a voice irrupted her thoughts. She turned to face Milly, who was looking at her with her puppy eyes.  
  
"Um…yes?" Meryl realized that she just missed a question.  
  
"They ran out of pudding, so, can we please, pretty please," she clasped her hands together, her puppy eyes went even puppier. "get some donuts?"  
  
"Sure, go ahead." With that, Milly attacked the counter, picking out the yummiest of donuts on display. Darn it. With a sigh, Meryl waited patiently, and finally they were out of the store. She looked up at her partner, blinking. "Aren't you going to eat them?"  
  
"Oh, no. I'm saving them." She smiled down secretly at Meryl. Meryl just blinked and continue walking, and noticed they were at the town square, where the well was, and the entrance to the town was in view. They began to walk around the well, when something made Meryl froze. It was a tiny shudder, and the hair on the nape of her neck raised. She turned around, searching for what could it have been. Last time she felt like this, she was trapped in the bar she worked in, surrounded by the construction workers. It was that feeling that made her noticed the noise of a speeding truck. She had whirled around, and saw a blonde man being dragged behind that truck. The memory of it now made her even more aware. Then the shudder came again, and turned around, staring straight past Milly who was asking her what's wrong, at the entrance of the town. And there he was.  
  
Blonde spiky hair shining in the sun, and aqua blue eyes met her blue gray ones. He smiled brightly and began to walk, the weight of another man slung over his shoulders forgotten. Meryl smiled, her heart over flowing with sudden joy, and ran towards him, past Milly who just turned to look. She wanted to run up to him and hug him, but she kept her self in check, stopping just a couple of feet from him. She looked up at him, into his deep eyes. Meryl opened her mouth to say something, when Milly came up to the man and threw her arms around him.  
  
"Mister Vash! Oh, Mister Vash your back!" she cried, not noticing his face was turning into an interesting shade of blue.  
  
"Yes… I'm back…and glad to be…" he managed to gasp. Meryl pried Milly from Vash, who gave her a look of thanks. She just smiled back.  
  
"Vash…you really are back…since you went off I…" her voice trailed off, and quickly averted her gaze down to the ground, her eyes were getting watery, and she's afraid her voice would waver. Then she realized what she almost said and snapped back up again, smiling. "Well, you are back and living, that's what counts now."  
  
"Yeah I guess." Vash smiled back, wondering what just happened.  
  
"Who's that?" Milly said, blinking at the man slung over Vash's shoulder.  
  
"Oh, um, I'll explain it later. Now, I just need to get him seen by a doctor," then he added under his breath "while he's still unconscious."  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"Nothing…oooh, are those for me? You two are so nice…mmm, donutsh. I haven't tashted one in a long time!"  
  
That night, a doctor had treated the man's wounds, as well as Vash's. The doctor said that the man had fainted from pain, and should rest if he does wake up. Then he left. The man had light blonde hair, and this suit on with strange tubing. Meryl assumed that he is Knives, Vash's brother. She wondered where Vash's trench coat had gone, and his gun as well. He came home in his black bodysuit. Meryl decided that now wasn't the right time to ask, so after the doctor left, she and Milly went to the kitchen to fix dinner, an extra special one to celebrate the homecoming of Vash. Vash stayed behind to change the man out of his suit and into a shirt and pants.  
  
A week later, before the sun rose on the horizon, somebody stirred. He shifted under the covers, his body aching all over from over a week of disuse. He sat up, placing a hand over his eyes. The pale blue orbs peeked out into the dark room from between his fingers. He sat like that for two minutes as images played before his eyes. He remembered his brother shooting him with that priest's weapon. He grimaced as he remembered the pain. Oh, how he hated the pain, the hurting, burning pain. It was too much to bear, as it sears from the bullet wound, spreading throughout his body. It was torture. It was hell. He remembered, blackness. He was screaming, those noises came from his mouth, but it sounds so far off as blackness swallowed him up. He thought he was dead. He remembers, after the blackness blocked his vision, he saw a sliver of light, widened as if it was his eyelids. He peered out of half open eyes into a warm room, the walls golden with the morning sunlight. As his eyes began to focus a little, he also saw something else, a someone actually. He saw that someone bend over him, he saw the dark hair. He remembers feeling something around his arm under his shoulder tightened. Then the person's face came to focus. What he saw confirmed of his belief, that he was dead. He knew, what he saw cannot be true. He knew, that Rem Saverem is dead. She is dead over 130 years ago.  
  
He removed his hand, and blinked around the dark room. Is this…is this Hell? Heaven? Where am I? He looked at himself. He has a loose short- sleeved shirt and pants. The areas where he was wounded felt tight, and he gingerly touched them. They were bandaged. Frowning slightly, he wondered Am I …alive? He pondered, and finally realizing that there was a snoring noise, coming from a corner of the room. He turned towards it, his eyes widened. There, on a cot, was his brother. He can't be dead…or am I alive? He clearly remembers his face, filled with…what? Was that grim satisfaction? Was that sadness? His brother hides so well. Whatever it was, Vash was alive, and he must still be. And that means he, Knives, must be alive. He slowly swung his legs over the bed, stood, and stretched, his muscles feeling better. He walked quietly out of the room, and into a hall. He went down it, his back against the wall. He pushed the image of her to the back of his mind. The hall ended and into a kitchen. Silently, he crossed the room to the drawers, hoping to find what he had in mind. He opened a drawer, reached in, and took out a knife.  
  
This is a human house; there should be humans in here. He thought. And the humans must die…all of them. He turned back to the dark hall, and went to the end of it, silent as a cat. He turned, and on the opposite wall of Vash's is a door. He turned the knob slowly, and entered the room. There were two beds; one had a bigger lump than the other. He went to the closest bed, which was the smaller of the two, and studied the person sleeping in it. He learned that studying a person can tell him how to torture the person. She had her back to him, her blanket tucked under her arm.  
  
He decided not to torture, but kill her right then and there. He needed to have a little talk to his brother, and he didn't want to stir up the whole village (assuming they were in a village) with screams. He gripped the handle of the knife, and got ready to stab her, straight into the spine, when she turned. He froze. There, right there, before him, is her. His eyes widened, the knife slipped off his nerveless hand and onto the wooden floor with a clank. Lucky for him, the other one in the other bed is one who can sleep through an off tune rock concert. He sank to his knees, full of disbelief. It can't be her; it can't be his mother, sister, and old friend. The only human that he did not hate, that he considered a friend, which he liked. He had lied to Vash, when he said he only spared her because Vash liked her so much. He had spared her from his destruction, because he respected and liked her, not only for Vash. Secretly, he was crying like mad, his old self, inside. Outside was the maniac, the one who laughed, watching the ship blow up. Watching her die. Over the years since her death, the maniac grew stronger, his old self weakening. And now, this night, the maniac is weakening as tears welled up in his eyes. He remembered the time before all this happened, the times before Steve had gone too far, the times when he was happy.  
  
"No, no. You were not happy…were not truly happy. You were under a spell. You were surrounded by illusions. That was not happy, Knives. That was a lie. And the liar is her." Knives blinked, and clutched his head.  
  
Who are you? Where are you!?  
  
"Who am I? Why, I am you, Knives. I am the real you. Where am I? Where are you?"  
  
No! No, you can't be me…you can't…. She's not the liar! Damn you! Leave me alone…I was hap-  
  
"Happy my foot! Knives! Open your eyes! She's one of them! She is one of those who hurt you and your brother! She's one of that disgusting, greedy, harmful, ignorant, lower-than-dir-"  
  
SHUT UP!! She isn't! She isn't…  
  
"Admit it, yes she is."  
  
No, she isn't…. Damn it!! Just leave me alone!  
  
"Fine, it's your funeral…"  
  
She isn't…She never was…oh Rem…I'm so confused…so confused…By this time, he was crying freely. He looked down at the women. "Rem…" he whispered, and slowly, he gently laid his head on her stomach, crying softly. "…mother…" he cuddled against her belly, her warm, comfortable belly. He cried himself to sleep, her belly as a pillow. 


	2. ~That Morning~

A/N: I own nothing in here except for the ones I DO own. Trigun, and all related suchness belong to Yasuhiro Nightow. Ok, done with that, lemme tell you that I have seen all the episodes, but only understood up to episode 10 ^-^; because all the rest are in Japanese. I couldn't get my hands on the dubs.  
  
Dry Planet  
  
~That Morning~  
  
It's her. Meryl was dreaming. She was…naked, but yet, she doesn't feel it. She's panting, her lungs and muscles burning. She was running. Running across a field. The full moon in front of her, she was running towards it. It must be night, but everything was visible to her, like it was day. Kept on running, running faster and longer than she ever had. She was running towards the moon, because she wants to meet her. The one that Vash had believed in all this time. The one that saved Vash and Knives. Rem Saverem. In her dream, Meryl knew she was there, under the moon. It was an instinct. She ran for what seems like days, tearing through a field that rolls on forever.  
  
As she ran, she noticed that she was very close to the ground. She didn't look at herself. She didn't know why, but she didn't. All she looked at was the moon. She felt her arm and leg muscles bunching and unbunching under her skin. Then she slipped and fell into an ocean. She wanted to scream, but nothing came from her mouth. The water wasn't cold, she didn't need to hold her breath. She can breathe. She kept on running, sinking at the same time. One of her feet touched the bottom of the sea, and then she was on top of a hill under a large tree. She stopped running, looking around her. Wherever she was, it was beautiful. The ground was firm, and green grass felt good to her worn feet. The sky was blue, but that moon was still there. She sniffed the air. It was fresh, with a scent of apple and something sweet, yet pure. Also, a scent that was very familiar. It smelled like watermelon and morning dew. She saw a pond not too far. She blinked. Being from a dessert world, she never seen such a large puddle of fresh looking water from the earth. She walked towards it, slowly. She wanted to see herself, but when her reflection started to appear, the water jumped and wrapped around her. This time, she did make a sound. It was a yelp. The water disappeared, and where the pond was, is a giant germanium flower, all closed up. Then it opens, blossoming into a large flower. Meryl took a step back, blinking. There, sitting in the middle of the petals, was a woman. It's her.  
  
Rem uncurled from her seat, her hair flowing with unfelt winds. She stood on top of the flower and smiled down at Meryl.  
  
"Meryl Strife" she said as the petals around her became loose and began to swirl around her. "I leave my angels to you." Then she was gone.  
  
Everything was gone. Meryl stood in darkness. Fear began to creep up her spine. She closed her eyes, wanting to curl up, but something held her. She felt ground solidified beneath her. She was lying down on her side. She opened her eyes, and saw a wolf staring back at her.  
  
A pair of eyes snapped open. Meryl blinked a couple of times, trying to figure out what that dream was, but as soon as she began to grasp some of it, all of it disappeared from her mind. She stared up at the ceiling. Then, a flashback just played in front of her eyes from the previous day.  
  
Meryl is sitting on Vash's bed, with Knives still unconscious in it. She was changing his bandages. Vash watches.  
  
"How long do you think he'll sleep?" Asked Vash.  
  
"I don't know, but his wounds are getting better."  
  
"That's good." Meryl just nodded, now tighten and tying the shoulder bandage. Out of the corner of her eyes she saw the wounded man's eyelids flickered. Then the blue eyes peered from under the partially opened eyelids at her, and then they closed again. She blinked, but kept quiet, continuing her work.  
  
At dinner that night, she told Vash about Knives, and he insisted to sleep in the same room with Knives for a night. Usually, he sleeps on the couch in the living room, gorging down on donuts and stuff.  
  
Meryl wondered what would happen if Knives woke up. From what Vash told her, it would be chaos. Sunlight seeped through the drawn curtains, lighting the room. That was when she realized something was against her stomach. She stiffened, balled her hands into a fists, ready smack who ever it was. She lifted her head slightly, right arm up in the air, and then she froze. Knives was sleeping, head on her belly. Meryl's eyes soften as she looked at his face. Like a sleeping boy… she thought. She sat up slowly, gently placing his head on her lap. There were tear stains on his face. She bit her lip. She hated it when guys cry. She never knows what to do. It makes her feel guilty and helpless to watch them cry. Milly was better at that job. Meryl glanced over to Milly, snoring away. She closed her eyes, thinking of what her mother would do. Her mother was very strong, and has a soft spot for children. She remembered when a cousin was over at their house, he tripped and scrapped a knee.  
  
He began to cry, and Meryl tried to comfort him, but he cried even more. She tried again, but he only began to thrash around. Being at the age of 7, she had little control on her temper. She was getting annoyed, and angry.  
  
"Shut up! You're a boy!! Boy's don't cry!!" she knew that was untrue, but she was too angry to know what flew out her mouth. "Tommy you're a cry baby!! Wimp!!"  
  
"Meryl!!"  
  
"What?!" she turned to find her aunt's red face glaring at her.  
  
"How dare you, you little horror!! Calling little Tommy those things! You should be ashamed of yourself!"  
  
"I won't be a little horror if Tommy would stop calling for attention!! He's a brat!!" she covered her mouth with her hands, knowing she was really into it now.  
  
"Y..y…" her aunt's face was turning purple, and she was in front of Meryl in two angry strides and slapped her. She slapped Meryl hard, and the little girl was flung to the floor by the force. Meryl gritted her teeth, not crying out. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she didn't want to cry. She felt such anger and rage inside of her. She got up in a sitting position, staring hard at the ground. She could hear Tommy bawling, and her aunt comforting him. Her aunt never liked Meryl, for she believes men should lead. Meryl heard the door open and closed, the boy's cry muffled by walls. She got up, goes over to a corner, and hugged her knees. She rubbed her teary eyes so hard that they hurt.  
  
"Meryl?"  
  
Her mother. She heard footsteps, door opened and closed. She felt a shadow fall over her. She looked up at her mother's face. The woman bent down and scooped Meryl up and hugged her. Meryl couldn't stand it, and began to cry. She buried her face into her mother's shoulder.  
  
A snort brought Meryl back to the present. Milly turned in her sleep. Meryl blinked, thinking over what Vash told her about what Knives was like when he was young, and what her mother would do. Knives brow knitted together, his face cringed, as if in a nightmare. Meryl remembered about Zazie the Beast, and how she and Milly comforted all those children. How did they do that? By instincts, she believed. She began to stroke the soft blonde hair gently, keeping the other arm around his head protectively. She began to hum softly. Sound Life was an old song. Her own mother sang it to her whenever she feels sad. Knives face relaxed, and had a look of peace on him. Meryl smiled, feeling all warm inside. He's just like a little boy…  
  
"Knives!! No!" Vash reached out to his brother, who's holding a knife. Knives didn't hear him, or if he did, he ignored him. Knives neared a sleeping Meryl, knife poised, and he went in for the kill. Vash threw himself at his brother, and—  
  
BUMP  
  
Tears welled up in his star spangled eyes as a bump the size of a baseball grew on his head. He rubbed it gingerly, sniffing. He had fallen out of his cot. Ouchie…that hurts. He thought. The morning light streamed in through the partly opened curtain and onto the empty bed. His pain was forgotten instantly.  
  
"Oh crap!" he scrambled to his feet, and tripped, his feet tangled up with his blankets. He quickly untangled himself and ran over to the girls' room. He swung open their door, only to find Meryl awake (and alive to Vash's relief) with Knives's head on her lap. Milly was still sleeping. Meryl gave a jump of surprised.  
  
"Meryl! You're OK!" Vash blinked.  
  
"Eh?" Meryl couldn't think of any reason for her to be not OK, and then she remembered Knives. She smiled inwardly; happy to know he cares about her. But she hid it, covering it with anger. "How rude! Have you ever heard of knocking? Barging into a ladies' room like that."  
  
"Huh?" Hurt flashed across his face, but quickly disappeared when he smiled "Oops, sorry."  
  
"Uhn…" Knives had woken up when Meryl jumped. Meryl and Vash's eyes turned to the man. He blinked, puzzled, remembered last night, and jerked upright, but tumbled back. His eyes widened at Meryl. "Rem! I-I can explain! Please…don't…." Then he noticed that Meryl had short hair and blue- gray eyes.  
  
"…Rem?" Meryl said quietly, puzzled.  
  
"You're not Rem…you're just a human…a damn human." He raised a hand, and tried to gather power into that hand to blast destructive energy out, but he didn't have enough power. The usage of two angel arms and the pain drained him of power. He began to feel panicky; having no power makes him nervous. He scrambled back, away from Meryl, and bumped into Vash whom he didn't notice. He looked up into the clueless face of his brother. Now he felt fear. Getting to his feet and away from him, Knives reached for his gun. His hand grasped nothing.  
  
"Knives…" Vash reached for his brother.  
  
"Stay away! Don't hurt me! Please!" Knives kept on backing up till he hit the bed Meryl is in. He fell onto it and onto Meryl's lap again.  
  
"Knives…I won't hurt you…" Vash tried again.  
  
"That's what you said over 130 years ago! And since, you hurt me twice!" His back was against the wall, Meryl forgotten.  
  
"And you said that you won't hurt me either, over 130 years ago right after I said that." Vash said dryly. "And since then, you've beaten me up at least twice, killed those close to me, blasted my arm off, and made me suffer."  
  
"Then that gives you the more reason to hurt me!" he curled up, hugging his knees, fearing the worst.  
  
"Knives. That is what you would do. I am Vash, not you. I won't hurt you."  
  
"How would I know you won't?!"  
  
"Remember the good times, Knives, the time before the Steve incident. Think back."  
  
Whimpering, Knives did that… ((A/N: Yes, yes, this is a flash back. My, I'm a flash backy person, neh?))  
  
Two toddlers rough housed, rolling down a grassy hill. Laughing, they both were having fun. Rem was watching from afar. At the foot of the hill, Knives accidentally smacked Vash too hard on his arm. Toddler Vash began to cry, Knives apologizing. Rem started to run to them, but stop when she heard Knives and hid behind a nearby tree.  
  
"Vash, I'm so sorry! Please don't cry! I'm really sorry I hurt you. Please don't be angry at me. If it makes you feel better, you can hurt me back."  
  
"I'm not angry at you." He said, sniffling, "I won't hurt you."  
  
"Really? I'm still really sorry. I won't hurt you again, never."  
  
"That's good. Right now I'm just angry at the ouchie." Vash said, laughing.  
  
"Hehe, I'm angry at it too." Knives replied, laughing as well. Behind the tree, Rem smiled.  
  
"And you broke your word."  
  
What? You again! Go away!  
  
"You broke your word."  
  
Leave me alone!!  
  
"You broke your damn word, and in the process, killed everything else."  
  
Shut up! I don't want to remember!!  
  
"Why not? You killed all you can, and that's a good thing"  
  
No!! Leave me alone!! Go away!  
  
"You still broke your word…" 


	3. ~Innocence Of Evil~

A/N: I own nothing in here except for the ones I DO own. Trigun, and all related suchness belong to Yasuhiro Nightow. Ok, done with that, lemme tell you that I have seen all the episodes, but only understood up to episode 10 ^-^; because all the rest are in Japanese. I couldn't get my hands on the dubs.  
  
Dry Planet  
  
~Innocence Of Evil~  
  
Vash looked at Knives worriedly. He was clutching his head, eyes closed tight. Meryl felt helpless once again, not knowing what to do. Milly was still snoring away, turning only once during all this time. The blonde man quickly went over to Knives, sitting on Meryl's bed, his aqua eyes not straying from his brother. He placed a hand on the troubled man's shoulder.  
  
"No!! Leave me alone!! Go away!" Knives pushed it away, scurrying far from his brother, only to bump into Meryl. Then he began to cry. Vash looked at Meryl for help, his vision blurred. Meryl did what her instinct told her to. She hugged Knives, who had turned into a child once again. As her gentle arms wrapped around his trembling shoulder, he quieted down.  
  
"Knives…" she said, barely a whisper. "We don't want to hurt you. We want to help you. Especially your brother." She looked up Vash, smiled what she hope was a reassuring smile. Vash smiled back, and came close to Knives, and hugged him.  
  
"Yeah Knives. We want to help, but we can't unless you let us. Please, let us help." Vash stayed embraced with his brother, who slowly opened his eyes. He looked at Vash, studying him. Then to Meryl, and studied her too. This made Meryl a bit nervous, and fidgeted a little. With a nod, he closed his eyes, still sniffing.  
  
"Please…don't leave me alone…brother?" he said.  
  
"Of course I won't."  
  
"Promise?"  
  
"Promise."  
  
"Good…"  
  
Meryl stood, and headed for the door. She turned and smiled at the brothers. "I'll get breakfast ready. Vash, why don't you help clean Knives up? And Knives, I meant what I said." She went out the door, leaving the two brothers and a sleeping Milly.  
  
A month passed since Knives's awakening. It seems as if the use of two angel arms drained him dry of power, and now is very much like a normal human. At first, Knives avoided Milly and Meryl, or tried to. He didn't leave his room without Vash at his side. Then, he began to come out. He found out the destructive power of Meryl's sharp tongue, and, for the first time since the death of Rem, started to respect Meryl. He found Milly's company quite amusing. Slowly, without him realizing it, he was befriending the two girls. Since meeting these two, he put his past behind him, his grudge against human giving away. But, He always comes to visit him at night. His voice would taunt him, reminding him of his killings. Knives hated Him, He who took over his body, He who weakened the real Knives. Yet, He seems to disappear when the golden fringe of dawn pushed away the blue skirts of night. Knives found His weakness. Light. Every night, he would light a candle, and every night, He talked lesser and lesser, till even Knives don't feel his presence.  
  
Vash woke at the sound of knocking. He got out of his cot, grumbling. Who the heck visits at this hour? He was sleeping in the living room that night, and it was still dark. He stubbed his toe hard against a table leg. Cursing inwardly, he groped his was to the door. He pulled a chain overhead, clicking on the light bulb. He blinked, waiting for his eyes to get used to the sudden light. Yawning, he opened the door, and there stood a girl that looks around 9. She was the palest person he has ever seen in his inhumanly long life. She has chalk-white skin; her hair is an almost white blonde. Her eyes were pale baby blue, with blue irises. It looked as it she was blind, yet her eyes focused Vash.  
  
"Um….can I help you?" Vash blinked again, and the child smiled shyly with her thin pale lips.  
  
"Yes you can." She said sweetly. "It's kind of cold out here. Can I come in?"  
  
"Oh, of course, come in!" He smiled, stepped aside to make room. That was when he noticed how cold it was, and shivered slightly. The girl curtsied, and stepped inside. She wore a white blouse, with a light blue-gray lace- fringed jumper. She also had on white leggings, and white Mary Jane's, an old-fashioned shoe style. He closed the door, puzzled. Sheesh, she's totally white, The only color I see on her is those blue eyes…she's creepy. He shuddered. Then he noticed the girl is gone.  
  
"Er, little girl? Little girl!" He searched the living room, kitchen, and bathroom, but no girl. "Yessh, where'd that ghost girl gone to?"  
  
"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!"  
  
"What the (bleep)?!" Vash jumped at least 3 feet of the ground, and the screams continued. He ran to the owner of the screams, and found two scared insurance girls coming out of their room. He stopped at Knives's door and swung it opened. Vash found Knives, staring down at the pale, blue-eyed girl. The girl was kneeling, looking up at Knives strangely.  
  
"Milord! What is wrong?" She blinked her huge eyes. Knives saw Vash, he scrambled out of his bed, ran pass the girl and hid behind Vash. The girl turned and stared, mouth opened in disbelief. "MiLORD!! Have you gone mad?! You…you…you're amongst humans!!!" she spat human out as if it was garbage, too low for her vocabulary. She narrowed her icy eyes into hard slits at Vash and the Insurance Girls. "You low-lives! You brainwashed His Majesty!! How dare you! You shall pay, apes. Once I find Captain Legato, he'll bring King Knives into his senses."  
  
"Huh?" all but Knives stared at her as if she was crazy. But the girl continued on.  
  
"I will punish you, that I will." She smiled sweetly, her face now turned into that of a little girl, her anger passed away. "Let's play a game!" her eyes shone of innocence. "I know a very good one, it's called Freeze Tag!"  
  
Meryl and Milly sighed with relief, and Vash smiled. "Sure! I love that game too!" Can't believe I thought she would hurt us. She's creepy, but still is a little girl.  
  
"Yay!" She jumped up and down.  
  
"Knives seems too tired. I'll take him to the living room." Meryl said as she and Milly took his arms and helped him away. Vash nods and faced the girl.  
  
"Well, let's start." He smiled at her. She smiled back, twice as innocent as before.  
  
"I'll be It! This'll be easy, with only you." She ran towards Vash, and before he could blink, she leaped into the air, giggling. She swung her delicate hand at him, forcing a burst of icy wind at the man. Vash, who thanked is inhumanly nature, rolled away and the wind froze the spot he was just a moment before. Then he heard more giggles, and he instinctively rolled away was again out into the hall. He ran down the hall, screaming, in a zig-zag motion. He reached the living room where the girls and Knives were and turned. There stood the girl, innocently as before.  
  
"Teehee! This is fun! Now we have more players! Whee!" a gust of blue wind formed around her, then shaped into a horse. She vaulted herself over it, her hand already pushing the cold wind towards Milly. The brunette swung up her stun gun, and blasted several stunners at the wind. The wind whistled past them, freezing them in the process, and reached the stun gun. The gun froze; a coat of ice covers it.  
  
"Aaaaiiii!!" She tossed the frozen gun away and hid behind the couch. Meryl fared better than her partner, and managed to reach her room. She opened, hearing the wind-filled whinny of the wind horse, and dived under her bed, the soles of her feet getting numb as the wind just missed. She grabbed a box, ripped it opened, and pulled out a canister with a nozzle. She feinted going to the right, but rolled out from the bed to the left, and pointed the nozzle at the girl on her wind horse. At the same time, she tucked the canister beneath her arm, and her thumb pushed a button. A stream of fire flared out from the nozzle to the girl.  
  
The girl screamed, her steed reared and evaporated away. She ran from the room to the living room again, her little face pulled into a snarl. Around her hand, blue-white wind swirled around, and compressed together into a gun. She turned and took quick aim, and pulled the trigger. Then ice bullet sliced through the air, and Meryl tried to dodge it, but she wasn't fast enough. The bullet lodge itself deep into her calf. She cried out in pain, her whole right leg numb with cold, the wound was frozen with a thin layer of ice forming from the bullet hole.  
  
"Meryl!" Both Milly and Vash cried out, and Vash reached Meryl first. He held her, and glared at the girl. "Who are you?!"  
  
"Little ol' me? Heh, I'm Gun Ho Gun number one, Monev" (pronounced mon-ay- v) "the Gale. I was sent here to retrieve His Majesty, King Knives, back home." She aimed her ice gun at the blonde man. "I was also ordered to chill all obstacles that'll keep me." She pulled the trigger, and the bullet zoomed out at Vash.  
  
"Stop!" Knives stood between the gun and Vash. Monev gasped and shot a blast of wind at the bullet, forcing it to swerve to the side. Her gun vaporated away, and she kneeled down to him.  
  
"Millord, forgive me." Her hand jerked, and a soft breeze surrounded Knives, carrying him away. Kick and punch as he might, he was forced out through a window, carried away.  
  
"Knives!!" Vash began to stand, when Meryl grasped the front of his pajamas.  
  
"Wait!" She then pushed the canister into his arms. "You get rid of this brat. Milly and I will get Knives." Then she turned to Milly. "Milly!"  
  
"Yes. Ma'am!" She ran over, and helped Meryl up. Monev's ice gun reformed again, this time becoming a machine gun. She began to shoot at the girls, and would've got them if it weren't for the wall of fire caused by the flamethrower used by Vash.  
  
"Oh icicles!" she pointed her gun at Vash, who dodged expertly. Taking advantage of the distraction, Milly and Meryl went outside, with the shorter woman dragging her numb leg. They both got on their Tomases and ran off, towards where the flying Knives is still visible.  
  
Monev, seeing her machine gun won't work, reshaped her weapon back into the old form. She created another wind horse, this time with eight legs. She got on the horse, at the same time, creating a small dragon. As if having a mind of it's own, the wind dragon ran off, circling Vash. Monev also circled Vash on her cold steed. Vash began to sweat. Crap! If I shoot at her, the dragon'll get me. If I shoot at the dragon, then she'll get me. Damn it! He ran toward a wall, to get his back upon. Vash skidded to a stop as the eight-legged horse appeared in front of him. He shot out fire towards the girl and her horse, but Monev shielded her and the horse with a flick of her free hand. A wall of ice formed in front of them, the fire hitting into it. Both forces canceled each other out. As Vash dealt with Monev, the wind dragon pounced and sunk it's ice teeth into his back. Like venom, the dragon's freezing breathe entered Vash through the icicle teeth. Vash screamed as his back began to freeze. He grabbed at the dragon, but since it's only wind, his hand passed right through, only to come out slightly frosted. Then a thought came to him. Quickly, he shoved the still hot canister at the dragon. The dragon let go of him, roaring in protest, leaping away.  
  
Vash's ears heard the click of a trigger, and he dodged away, the bullet grazing him. He brushed at his pant leg, the frozen cloth crumbling away. The dragon ran toward him again, and the blonde man pointed the nozzle at it and pushed the button. The dragon inhaled deeply and blew out a jet of blue-white steam. The steam and fire met, and with a hiss they both disappeared. With him occupied, Monev rode closer, quickly aimed, pulled the trigger, and drew away. At the corner of his eyes he saw the glint of the ice and shifted his position, so the bullet shattered as it hit his gun arm, leaving a dent in the metal.  
  
"What in the world?" the girl blinked, surprise at the metal arm. The dragon itself blinked, looked from its mistress then to Vash. Thanking his lucky stars for this moment, he shot at Monev, full blast. The fire flared out from the nozzle, it's heat so great, Vash can smell his hair burning. The nozzle and the canister became unbearable, even to Vash. Screams from the girl could be barely heard over the roar of the fire, and the tortured shrieks of the dragon, having a mind of it's own so it can feel pain. As fast as it appeared, the fire went out in a mushroom of smoke. Vash covered his mouth and nose with his shirt, coughing. The smoke cleared away, and Monev was on her knees, her clothes burnt to shreds. Burn marks and soot covers her pale skin. Her face shone with perspiration as she gasps for air. Her icy blue eyes had turned colder, glaring ice shards at Vash.  
  
"You…how…dare…you…"she narrowed her eyes into thin slits, and hissed through clench teeth. "You'll pay…human." She reached up to her left ear, took off a diamond earring, though Vash could safely guess it was made of ice, and smashed it in her palm. Freezing gales tore from her fist, engulfing her, howling as it did. The wind wrapped around her so tight, that it was practically a cocoon, and then it disappeared out the window. 


	4. ~Burns~

A/N: I own nothing in here except for the ones I DO own. Trigun, and all related suchness belong to Yasuhiro Nightow. Ok, done with that, lemme tell you that I have seen all the episodes, but only understood up to episode 10 ^-^; because all the rest are in Japanese. I couldn't get my hands on the dubs.  
  
Dry Planet  
  
~Burns~  
  
Meryl was having a difficult time to ride her tomas with a numb leg and pajamas. Milly and her steed were ahead. Both girls kept an eye on the floating Knives that hovered above a sand dune not far from the house. Her leg was beginning to thaw out in the warm night air. Pain struck her, she gritted her teeth. The bullet inside of her calf had melted, and now her leg was searing with pain. Suddenly, a yelp of surprise was heard as Knives fell from the air upside down and onto the dune, which sucked him into its sandiness. Milly urged her tomas faster, Meryl did so to, but wincing as her steed bobbed up in down in the long strides. Blood that was frozen leaked out from her wound, and down her leg in tiny streams and sprayed out into the air as she zoomed on.  
  
Milly reached him first, got down from her tomas and ran up the slippery dune. After several tries, her tomas gave a snort and trotted up to his mistress. He lowered his long, hard head and walked between her legs from behind, scooping her up onto his back. Milly gasped in surprise. The tomas snorted again, shook his mane and scaled up the dune with 3 long strides, his broad feet doing their magic. Meryl's tomas followed, and blinked as two legs stuck out of the sandy hill. They both kicked frantically, and the tomases pranced out of their way. Milly grabbed one of the flailing legs at the ankle with one hand, the other with her other hand. Meryl rode around and took hold of the tomas's reins. She backed up her own steed, leading Milly's with her. Milly wrapped her strong legs around the creature's broad chest and pulled at the legs. The tomas, understanding what's happening, helped his rider by digging his strong legs into the sand and pushed it hard. Then the dune gave up its living food and Knives was pulled from the ground, gasping for breath. The tomas stumbled a bit, and shook his mane, snorting. Milly got down, sinking a few inches into the sand, and kneeled by Knives.  
  
"How is he?" Meryl asked, biting her lip afterwards. She adjusted her tomas so her bleeding leg is hidden from view.  
  
"Ok, I think." Milly blinked. Knives coughed. The tall woman used her sleeve to wipe sand from his eyes, nose, and lips. Meryl tossed Milly a canteen sealed with wax from a pouch in the tomas's saddle.  
  
"Emergency water. Use it on Knives." She looked over at the house. It was a nice cozy little cottage. They found it abandoned, just on the outskirts of the town. Through the windows she saw flares of blues and reds. A scream. More flashes. Then, it all went red. Screams of the girl reached even to them. Meryl shivered. Nothing. Nothing was flashing. Nothing but smoke. It was all quiet.  
  
"I'm going." Meryl flicked the reins, and her tomas was off. Milly looked puzzled at Meryl, then at Knives.  
  
Vash let go of the flamethrower stiffly. The empty canister, the labels on it charred from it's own heat, fell to the blackened floor with a dull clunk. The humanoid typhoon was covered with sweat, his nose and cheeks burnt raw. Tips of his brow and his haired singed to a crisp. His free hand, the one covering his mouth, was just beginning to feel pain. His palm was black and raw from holding the nozzle. The inside edges of his thumb and index finger was covered with soot and was bleeding; the skin has been burnt away. The gales from the girl cleared the air somewhat, and he was gasping for fresher air, wincing every deep intake. His left side, where the canister had rest, received the same fate as his palm. The pajamas in that area had turned into smoke; the fringe of the hole was outlined by thick black. The inside of his left arm and hand was the same as his side. His eyes stung from the sudden dryness in them.  
  
"Vash!"  
  
It was faint, but it was there. The roar of the flame had left him temporary semi-deaf. He glanced up, wincing, at the door. The door had a dent where the flame had touched, burning away the wood. Then he saw it tilt forward, its hinges melted into streams of metal down the wall. Soot and other particles rose into the air as the door fell to the floor. Fresh, cool air surged in, the smokiness being pushed out the door. A silhouette of a person on a tomas stood there. Vash blinked painfully against the light. He looked again, the silhouette disappearing. The white head of the tomas appeared first, and then it's lanky legs. Then a wolf with black fur appeared, sitting on the tomas. Light bounced off its silky fur, making it seem like dark purple. Its blue-gray eyes peered at him. Vash blinked, and the wolf was gone.  
  
"Vash!" the tomas trotted for him, Meryl looking down worriedly at him. She quickly dismounted, not caring that flashes of her high thigh was visible, and kneeled down on her wounded leg, so he wouldn't see. She took his right arm, slung it over her shoulder, and tried to stand, but his weight was too much. Vash tried to stand too, but he couldn't move a thing. He feels as if he was paralyzed. Thinking quickly, Meryl grabbed the reins for her tomas, and pulled the creature to her lie-down position. After many puffing and huffing, she managed to get him over her tomas. Making sure he wouldn't fall, she stood, and her tomas stood too. She limped quickly to the door, leading her steed.  
  
The warm-colored fingers of dawn reached above the horizon, giving the morning a safe feeling. But Meryl Strife ignored all this. About halfway to the town, her wounded leg gave away.  
  
"Hwaaaaang!" the tomas cried as her head was pulled down. Meryl released the reins, wincing, gritting her teeth. She patted the tomas's muzzle, and gently as she can, pushed it so the creature faced the town.  
  
"Go there." She said slowly, slapped the tomas's thigh. The animal went at a soft canter, giving a cry of obedience to Meryl. The woman watched her steed and Vash go, holding onto her leg. She ran a free hand through her sweat-matted hair. Then she got into a sitting position. She was on the side of a small hill, the side that faces away from the town. Ever since the well, the town and it's surrounding area has slowly becoming lushes. Lying down on her side on the soft carpet of grass, she sighed. The sun was halfway from completely rising; it's warm gentle rays created a blanket of warmth around the wounded woman. She curled up, her bleeding leg facing the sky, and her eyelids were slowly closing, growing heavy with sleep every second. Soon, her pain was forgotten as sleep overtook her.  
  
Milly was worried and puzzled. She had heard screams. Terrible screams. Then her best friend rode off to the house. Milly never liked being alone. Especially from Meryl. When at work, there were friends all around her, and they make up for Meryl. Now there is only one friend and her tomas. Why did she leave me? Why did she have to go to those ugly screams? Please, Wolfwood…let her be ok.  
  
Knives sat in silence, thinking hard. Milly pulled on the reins gently, taking a left. Knives was sitting behind Milly. The extra weight was nothing for the tomas. He trotted along, swishing his tail in beat with a tune in his head, happy to be finally going home and sleep. Then the house came to view. There it stood unchanged with the exception of the door. But it has lost its coziness. The human and non-human dismounted, and walked into the house, stepping on the falling door. The brunette's eyes were wide and filled with horror as they saw at the living room. The floor was charred to ashes the walls scorched thin. The couch was barbequed to its metal skeleton, and even that melted. Everything in the living room had been run through extreme heat. Milly's eyes began to water. She loved this room. So many memories…burnt away like the pictures in here…she began to cry, lowering herself to the ground, and she sobbed harder as she remembered a piece of cloth she kept in a jar was in this room. The cloth was from the cloth that wrapped the Cross Punisher.  
  
Knives looked down at Milly, astonished. He had never seen a human cry. Over his long life, never seen or heard, just know. He's the one that makes them cry, though never heard it. Now, listening to the mournful sobs, the way sadness and horror dripped from the sounds, it made him feel guilty. The crying shook his heart and it made him sad. He kneeled down besides her, not knowing what to do. He patted her shoulder gingerly and, to Knives's surprised, she threw herself onto him, using his shoulder. Blinking, Knives patted her back, and then hugged her. Knives stayed the embrace, taking in the new and strange feelings. It made Knives feel protective as Milly trembled within his arms. Milly's sobs lessened, and looked up at Knives, her face tear-stained and her nose red. Her cheeks had a slight flush. Knives looked down at her, blinking.  
  
"Do you feel better now?" he asked.  
  
"Y-yes… a lot better…" she managed to gasp, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "Thank you…."  
  
"That's good, now come on, let's go locate the other two." He stood, and helped Milly up.  
  
"RAAAAAA!!" the screech echoed off the icy peaks that hung upside-down on the ceiling of an ice cavern. A chandelier of ice particles hung from the center. On the snow covered floor is a throne of ice upon a hill. A small wingless ice dragon laid curled around the thrown, it's chin resting on its talon-like paws, very much like a dog. The dragon winced as the sound dripping with anger reached his ears. A girl that looked no older than nine sat on the thrown. Her innocently cute face was pulled into an ugly snarl. Her near white blonde hair was braided into a thick loose braid that hung over her shoulder. She was wearing a frilly white dress with blue lace, and a pair of white sandals. Around her head she wore a tiara of icy winds that goes nowhere but around her head. Floating just above her forehead is a diamond of ice encasing a blue rose. She threw her ice goblet at the snow, spilling the near-frozen drink inside it and smashing the cup. She sat back, took deep breathes, calming down. The dragon looked up at his mistress, then to the door, his small ears perked. The blue doors to the cavern swung open, and a young woman about 17 sauntered in. Her black dress hugged every voluptuous curve of her, the heels of the black boots sunk into the powdery snow. Her thigh length black hair bellowed out as she walked. Her thin blue lips were shaped into a smirk. Heavy bangs kept the right side of her face covered. Her deep, black eye had a mischief glint in it. She stopped in front of the thrown, resting a dainty hand on her hip. A halo of light shone around her body, because of her blue, iridescent skin.  
  
"Well, well, my little sister failed her mission.." her silky voice echoed off the walls of the cavern.  
  
"Shut up, Dominique. What do you want?" Monev hissed.  
  
"Oh, nothing. Just to see how my baby sister is handling her fail."  
  
"I'm not a baby!" Monev stood, pointing at Dominique. Blue light shot from her finger tip and towards the older girl. Dominique gasped as the light touched her, instantly turning into an ice statue.  
  
"Hehe, you're too old and slow, big sister." She sat back, smiling, satisfied.  
  
"Hah! You are such a baby, Nevvy!"  
  
"Huh?" the girl turned, and saw her sister's eye peering from above her throne back. Monev's eyes widened. "How did you--?"  
  
"It's a new technique I just learned." She stepped out. "I left an animated clone of me, and I just waltz over here, and all this so fast, that no one can see." She smiled.  
  
"That's very nice, Nicky." Monev knew her sister was telling half the truth. Dominique wasn't that fast, she just used illusion to make herself invisible. "Now leave."  
  
"Oh no, girl, this is just the beginning of why I came in." She began towards Monev.  
  
"Leave!!" her blue eyes were hard as the ice around them, sending shivers down Dominique's spine. The younger girl raised both her hands, orbs of blue gray wind forming. That was when Dominique panicked, and backed away till her back hit the cold doors. Shit! I forgot this was her chamber!! And in her chamber, her powers are limitless!!  
  
"Wait!! I'll g-get to the point!! Captainess Grey told you to report to her at once!" then she turned, open the door, slipped through, and slammed it close.  
  
Sitting back, Monev smiled happily. She and her sister were always at each other's throat. They are half sisters, and grew up together. Monev is always envious of Dominique, with her iridescent blue skin and her natural blue lips. Though Monev is satisfied with her pale complexion, blue is her favorite color. She is also envious of the ever-growing power of her sister's. Monev's wind power is just that. What she has is all she has, for life. Dominique's however, is illusion power, and her power grows in time. One of these days…she thought. Your power won't grow anymore. Giggling happily, she got up from her throne.  
  
"Snowo, come boy." She sang. The little dragon lifted his head, and half slithered half scrambled for his mistress. She petted his smooth, cold head, adding frozen wind to the dragon. Snowo grew in size, and also a pair of bony wings grew from his shoulders. Monev swung her leg over his long, slender neck, resting on top of the wing bases. Twining her tiny hands in the windy mane of the dragon, she giggled again, planning her sister's death. Snowo crouched, into a pouncing stance, and pumped his large wings down, lifting himself and his creator up. He whipped his paddle-like tail, and spiraled upwards, where a hole is located. He flew high, then tucked his wings against his streamline body and dived through the opening into a brightly lit hall. Monev looked down, and saw her sister looking up. She waved at her, giggling insanely when her sister was encased in a block of ice. Who cares if it's fake? This is fun!  
  
Snowo pumped his wings and they glided towards the end of the large hall, where stairs spiral up to the throne room. Once up at the room, Monev felt her powers starting to diminish to the limit line, and she quickly landed her steed, taking back the frozen wind from Snowo till he was in his original size. Then she turned and walked down the gold-rimmed red carpet towards a tall silver throne. Pacing in front of it was Captainess Grey. Her gray furry cape breezed out as she walked. She was wearing gray boots that is padded on the soles, so it makes no sound as she walked. A gray halter kept her loose fitting blouse from exposing her large bosom. Her dreary brown-gray skirt hugged tightly to her slender hips, and gray leopard printed leggings that wrap muscular legs. From the back hem of her skirt is a long black tail, swishing in frustration. Grey the Ninelives stopped her pacing as Monev came forth. Her stormy gray eyes bore a hole through Monev, and her slit pupils filled that hole with poison. Gulping, Monev bowed to the captainess.  
  
"Y-you called, Cap—"  
  
"You've let me down, Gale." Her smooth yet raspy voice cut Monev short. "I had expected more of you. How could you let His Majesty fall into the hands of humans and be taken away of?"  
  
"I—"  
  
"You are a pile of chopped ice upon a stone above fire, Gale." Grey whirled around, her cape hitting Monev on the face. Grey walked towards the Throne, stopping just before making contact with it. "How could you, Gale? How come you have to make it so hard for me, especially since Captain Legato's missing." Taking a deep breath, she faced Monev, her thin black lips pulled thinner. "I have sent Green and his son to search the area you were in. I will give you another chance, Gale, to prove yourself worthy of being a Gun Ho Gun Soldier. If you don't bring back His Majesty, I will personally kill you. Understood?"  
  
"Y-yes, Cap—"  
  
"Stop stuttering, stand straight, and bow when you address the Captainess. I know you are young, Gale, but I will rake your pale skin with my claws if you start whining. Understood?"  
  
"Yes, Captainess!" Monev said, bowing.  
  
"Good." Grey looked away. "Dismiss." 


	5. ~Gun Ho Guns Galore~

A/N: I own nothing in here except for the ones I DO own. Trigun, and all related suchness belong to Yasuhiro Nightow. Ok, done with that, lemme tell you that I have seen all the episodes, but only understood up to episode 10 ^-^; because all the rest are in Japanese. I couldn't get my hands on the dubs.  
  
Dry Planet  
  
~Gun Ho Guns Galore~  
  
The two pair of blue-gray eyes stared into each other. The woman was on her side, her bleeding leg facing the sky. Short, black hair spilled towards the green grass she's resting upon on. The wolf was also on her side, facing the woman. They just stared at each other. Suddenly, coldness swept through Meryl's body, like a shadow has fallen over her. Both the wolf and the woman looked up at the peaceful blue sky. The sun was shining, but Meryl's flesh felt as if Monev the Gale has shot her again, only all over. Then a fissure appeared in the sky, and it spread into many branches. Parts of the sky fell, clinking like glass. Meryl didn't struggle. Nor did the wolf. The pieces dug themselves deep into their bodies. A large chunk of the sky fell towards Meryl. Inside, she was screaming, outside, she was motionless, helpless, paralyzed. Finally the wolf moved. It jumped up, over Meryl's bloody body. The sky-glass chunk fell onto the wolf in midair. The glass dug deep in, breaking the spine and piercing the belly. Blood splatter everywhere. The momentum of the sky forced the limp wolf down upon Meryl. The part that was sticking out from the wolf's belly pierced her own skin and flesh. There she laid, still motionless, with the wolf draped on her. Pieces of the sky still rained down around the bloody mass of flesh and bones.  
  
  
  
"Look! It's the humanoid typhoon!"  
  
"He's injured!"  
  
"Near death is more like it, woman!"  
  
"Quick, someone go find the doctor!"  
  
"No! Don't you dare help him!"  
  
Chaos bloomed when the tomas entered the town. She was confused, with a motionless rider on her back, and people screaming around her. She pranced around nervously, wanting to go away. A boy came up to her and took hold of her reins. He was young, short, and had deep brown eyes. The tomas liked him immediately. She feels the boy knows tomases. He patted her muzzle, and looked at her rider. He turned to the man who last shouted.  
  
"Why shouldn't we help him?" his voice was surprisingly strong. The other man is tall, muscular, and bald with a tattoo of the sun on his head.  
  
"You know who he is, boy."  
  
"Yes, I do. He's a good neighbor, and from what I seen from passing by, a really nice person. So please, move out of the way and let the doctor through."  
  
"Hah! Little boy, you lived too short. That's Vash the Stampede you're talking about. The $$60,000,000 Man."  
  
"Come, girl." The boy pulled on the reins, and started for the doctor, who came to see what's the commotion. The tomas let him lead her. Just before he took 5 steps, the ground between him and the doctor exploded. With a cry, the tomas, scrambled away as the boy covered his face.  
  
The man went over, and stopped before the boy. He lifted a leg to kick him, when he froze. He fell over, tears streaming from his eyes as he curled up. The tomas had come back, and used her heavy spiked tail to smack the area that no man ever wanted to be smacked. Little whimpers escaped the man's paled lips.  
  
The crowd laugh, and the doctor took over. He cursed at the form the blonde man was in, and few of the town people helped out. The boy took the tomas into a cozy stable, filled with other tomases. After making sure she was comfortable in her stall, he poured rich feed into her bin, and gave her one last pat before he went off to see to the other tomases.  
  
White. Everything white. The smell of latex filled his nostrils. The whiteness began to have shadows, then, slowly, color. His aching body was wrapped in something and whatever it is it felt good. He parts his lips to speak, and once the air entered his mouth, his throat dried, and he began to cough. He closed his eyes in pain, and he felt people gathering around him. Someone poured a liquid into his mouth two drops by two. Instantly, his hacking subsided.  
  
"Don't try to talk." A female voice said. Vash just nodded, and let the drink do its job. Fortunate for him, one of its jobs is to make the patient sleepy.  
  
"Look at this, son. A sleeping human." A tall, lanky man with green locks stood over a sleeping woman, casting his shadow over her. His pale green eyes flashed hungrily. He wore a black, muscle shirt with a black leather vest, black, torn jeans that ends in a venom green flame, and black boots with green tinted chains hanging from them. Around his neck he wore a collar with a silver cross hanging from it. The cross was engulfed in green fire. Around his wrists he also had the same emblem hanging from spiked leather bracelets. A belt hung loosely from his narrow hips, where a slender gun is sheathed. The buckle of the belt also had that burning cross emblem.  
  
"I see, father. A human bitch." A young man who looks like the younger version of the man came up behind him, except the eyes didn't glint so maliciously, and the emblem only appears once, at the collar. "She's bleeding pretty bad too."  
  
"That is none of our concern. We'll have our fun with her once our mission's over." He said, grinning. The younger man didn't look to thrill.  
  
"Father, I don't think—"  
  
"Shut up, Kenugre." The father said with an animal growl. "You need all the practice you can for your own pack, once you become a lone one."  
  
"What if I don't become—" Kenugre began only to be cut off by his father again. His father grabbed the emblem on the younger one's collar and pulled him close till their noses are just a hairsbreadth away.  
  
"You will become a lone one, because you will never, never, defeat me. Understand, boy?"  
  
"Y-yes, Father."  
  
The father pushed him away, snarling at his son. He saw the woman move with the corner of his eye, and he turned to see her stirring. She's beginning to wake up. The father grinned, then he half crouched, and his fingernails lengthening into claws; his blunt square teeth began to sharpen into fangs. A sudden cry from behind distracted him, and he returned to his original state. Both he and Kenugre turned to find Milly and Knives on a rather miffed tomas. The older man's eyes widened as the pale orbs focused on Knives.  
  
"Milord!" he quickly got down onto one knee, bowing his head so his green braid fell forward. Kenugre stared at Knives, blinking. He looks as young as me! He yelped as his father reached up and yanked the younger ones vest down, forcing him to kneel as well.  
  
Thumps of the creature were heard as it came near. Kenugre stole a peek up. The tall brunette slid off the steed, and man sat still, staring at them with unreadable eyes. The woman walked cautiously around them, and then to the waking woman. He felt his father move beside him.  
  
"Leave her!" the father snarled, and jumped at the two women, the other now awake.  
  
"Stop!" cried Knives. Milly gasped as the man changed before their eyes and in midair. His face stretched and slender into a muzzle, his ears pointed and forced its way to the top of his head. His hands broadened into clawed paws, his thighs shortened, his shin shortened, his feet lengthen and broadened into large paws. His clothes shredded into gray fur with green stripes. The shreds at his rear twisted into a strong tail. Meryl, fully awake now, shoved Milly away.  
  
The large green wolf landed on Meryl, the claws digging deep into her flesh. The teeth flashed near her throat, but she moved, so they sunk into her shoulder. She screamed as blood gushed out, soaking the muzzle of the werewolf, the sleeping shirt of the woman, and turned black hair red. She stared up at the peaceful sky with wide eyes. This is her dream. But where's the wolf? She began to cry, seeing the end, the bloody end. But she's dying alone. Her body was numb with pain. She felt nothing except the fangs and claws deep in her flesh. Then her vision began to blur, and whiteness began creep up from the bottom. Her mind began to go blank, seeing only red. But it wasn't blood. It was Vash.  
  
"MERYL!!!" Milly watched in horror as her small friend was caught in the jaws of the monster. She wanted to help. Throw her self onto the big terror. But her body wouldn't move. It was frozen in terror. She could do nothing. Nothing but cry. She was angry with herself, not being able to help. This was too much. Over her life, these past two days were the nightmare of her dreams. She didn't understand anything. The corner of her tearful eyes, she saw Knives running towards the werewolf. He was shouting.  
  
"I demand you to leave her alone! I comma—" he turned blue. In fact, his whole body was encased in ice. The Werewolf let go of Meryl's shoulder and lifted his blood-soaked muzzle. There, sitting upon a windy ostrich, is Monev the Gale.  
  
"Yes!" she began to giggle happily. "I got him! Chapel?"  
  
"What?" growled the wolf. Blinking his pale eyes at the girl.  
  
"Oh, that was you." She sneered as she hopped off the disappearing horse. "It seem that you had forgotten your mission."  
  
"I haven't!" snarled the wolf. He bounded from Meryl's gasping body towards the girl. "Go to your mommy before I have to wipe those white lips from your hue less face, girl!"  
  
"My mommy's dead, wolf. And so will you soon, if you keep up that attitude."  
  
"Don't you talk to my father like that!" Kenugre pulled out two handguns from his thigh straps and pointed them at Monev.  
  
"Uh-oh! Am I supposed to be scared? Oh, yes, I should! Eeeek!" she squealed with laughter. She held up a hand, where her sleek ice gun formed itself. "Shoot me, brat!"  
  
With a loud bark, he pulled both triggers. Bullets of green fire zoomed out towards Monev. The little girl, knowing the Green's fire power, shot at each fire bullet with two of her own ice bullets with practiced precision. Then she shot at Kenugre's head. Kenugre's senses the bullet, and quickly transformed into a young wolf, letting the bullet pass by overhead. He had the same gray fur, but the green stripes were a bit blurrier. The stripes then were engulfed with green flame, and then the gray fur caught on fire, spreading the flame all over his body. The young wolf dashed towards the girl, who wasn't expecting this, and lunged at her. Quickly, she tried encasing him with ice, but the winds just wailed in protest as the heat began to eat them.  
  
"Stop! Or I'll have Grey skin you!" She threatened as he came near. She felt the dreadful heat, and then it all disappeared as Chapel pounced at his son in midair, slamming his heavy clawed paws into Kenugre's young sides.  
  
"You damn idiot!" the larger wolf braked harshly into his son's pointed ears. "Never, EVER, strike one that is in favor of Captiness Grey! Do you know what she can do? NO!! You don't! And you'll never want to! So mind your own hide and learn from watching!" Chapel swung a paw at Kenugre's face, hitting him hard. The father turned away to face the girl.  
  
"Take His Majesty back, I have a few lessons to teach my son" he snarled and began towards Meryl now. Monev turned very red, and then turned away, shouting to the sky.  
  
"Hopperd! Down here!!"  
  
"RAAAAAAAAWK!!!" a squawk was replied. Clouds ran away, fearing to be slapped by the large wings of a giant eagle as it flew towards the ground. Sitting in its brown plumage is a man with scraggily brown hair, his legs hidden in the fluffy feathers. The eagle pulled back its wings, it's stout golden talons spread out for a landing. Tearing up the green grass, the huge avian took a while to skid to a stop. It lowered its magnificent head to the ground.  
  
"What took you?" Monev snapped at the man. Hopperd, the man, looked down at her with fierce golden eyes from the eagle's neck, smiling charmingly. Then a pair of heavily feathered wings unfolded from his bare back. Flapping them with grace, he stood, upon the legs of a bird. With his long feathered thighs, bare scaled shins, and huge talons, his bottom part could be mistaken for a feathered raptor. He walked down the head and beak of the eagle, using his wedge-shaped tail for balance.  
  
"Patience, little one, patience." He chimed her as he landed besides her. Hopperd raised a largely clawed talon in a leather gauntlet. "Rocs are quite stubborn birds."  
  
"All birds are stubborn, as far as I care." She pushed away the gauntleted foot. "Hurry up and do your job."  
  
"Yes, little princess." He smiled as she began to pout, send icy chills from her ears. He threw himself into the air spreading his wings to catch the wind, and flapped upwards. He then swooped down towards Monev. He grabbed hold of her arms and pumped his wings, carrying her away. He then faced the roc, squawking, and flew off to the northeast. The Roc nodded it's huge head, picked up the ice coffined man with two claws, tossed him up into the air, and caught it with the palm of the foot. It began to flap it's wings, and hopped on one foot and started to fly.  
  
The wind caused by roc tossed the werewolves and the women about. Meryl was being held by Kenugre, who knows what would happen if he didn't. The young man gritted his teeth in memory.  
  
"You worthless ass! Look at what you did!"  
  
"F-father, I di—!"  
  
"Didn't know the damn elk has antlers?! You sissy! Letting our dinner escape, and also letting it break your arm! You're a disgrace!"  
  
"B-but father! Its hooves were as—!"  
  
"Shuttup!" the older man grabbed the boy's broken arm, and began to twist it even more. Kicking, punching, screaming, blood.  
  
Its hooves were as big as half of my head! That was all the boy wanted to say.  
  
Milly cried as the raging winds became a sandstorm. She was alone. She didn't want to be. Meryl! Come back to me! Please! She wanted to scream, but something was stuck in her throat. She felt a nudge on her shoulder. She opened her sand crusted eyes, and saw the silhouette of her tomas. Her heart skipped a beat with joy. She hugged her Tomas's head, and, with difficulty, climbed onto it's back. She kept her head down, trusting the tomas as it cantered off into the sandy oblivion. 


	6. ~New Dark and Light~

HEEEEY!! Looky!! New stuffy from me! I bet you're tired of that same old I own nootin and understood only 10 eps, neh? Nyahahaha!! Yah well, Me comp had teeny virus that killed almost all of me files, and this is the only one I had saved on disk of the new chapters. Can't find a proofreader yet, so please, bare with me!! Enjoy!!  
  
Dry Planet  
  
~5~  
  
Vash awoke with a start. The first thing he saw was red. He wiped at his face. It was covered with a hot and sticky liquid. He smelled blood, and tasted it as a few drops slid into his slightly opened mouth. He felt gloved hands grabbed his wrist. He heard a voice, the same one that talked to him before.  
  
"Mr. Vash! Calm down, please!"  
  
"Where am I? What are you doing to me?" He struggled against her strong grip, but he was weak.  
  
"You are in the Phoenix Tears Hospital Healing Room number 4. I am currently changing your bandages. If you don't move, I'll wipe the blood." Her voice was strong and calm. Vash stilled, his body still tensed. He felt a warm, wet cloth run over his cheeks, then down the bridge of his nose, and then his brows. She didn't wipe his forehead or his eyes.  
  
"What about my eyes?"  
  
"Hold on," was the reply. Something was lifted from his eyes. A strip of cloth soaked with his blood. He blinked in the sudden whiteness. His vision cleared, and before him he saw a woman in her golden years, about 50 or so. Her black hair was tied back into a loose ponytail. A few streaks of white hair can be seen at random places in the blackness. Blue eyes that shine of gentleness, and with depth so deep that one can get lost if he was not careful, peered at him below thick eyebrows. A pair of pink lips curved into a smile, making the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes deepens. Vash blinked at her. She looks familiar.  
  
"Hello. Do I know you?"  
  
"No. not until this moment. Now, stay still until I sew your wound up and bandage you."  
  
"What?!" his eyes widened, and gulped at the thought a needle and thread going through his skin and flesh, and coming out the other side. He whimpered. "I had stitches before, but I was unconscious while having them, lady."  
  
The woman laughed heartily and patted his cheek.  
  
"Don't worry, my little typhoon. You won't feel a thing, I promise."  
  
"I've seen promises broken before, miss." Vash mumbled in misery.  
  
"A mother's promise then," she reached over to a table that's out of Vash's vision, got something, and stood over him. She began doing something. Vash blinked, gulping again. He closed his eyes tightly. She's threading it! Oh mother of god help me through it! He gritted his teeth in thought. He heard her sitting down on the edge of his bed. He braced himself of the needle, wherever it's going to pierce. He waited. And waited. And waited. And waited some more. Finally, he pried his left eyelid open, then his other eye. She was just sitting, staring at him. Her gentle face showed she was amused.  
  
"Aren't you gonna sew me up?" he was puzzled. His mind is blank.  
  
"I did. A long time ago," she laughed. "Told ya you won't feel a thing. The aesthetic in the old bandages were there to cool your burns down. Now that you're fine, the aesthetic numbed your wounds, so I didn't have to shoot numbing liquids into you."  
  
"You said they were burns. Why did you need to sew it up?"  
  
"Because it ripped when I was removing your old bandages. You toss and turn in your sleep, ya know? I need to put the bandages on now," she stood, grabbed another item on the unseen table, and Vash felt her hand on the back of his head. His head began to nod, and he perceived that she's bandaging him now.  
  
"Miss? Are you going to be my nurse?""  
  
"Yes, I am your nurse from the minute you came into the hospital to your first step outside."  
  
"What is your name?"  
  
"You may call me Mom," there was a hint of a smile when she said that.  
  
"Mom?" he blinked at her suggestion.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Nothing…" he looked toward the window.  
  
"There's a heavy sandstorm out there. Hope everyone got into buildings safely."  
  
"Mom, where is the girl that came with me?"  
  
"Girl?" she finished, and sat on the edge of his bed again. "From what I heard from the doc that brought you in, you were on the back of a tomas, and that's it. No other," she looked at Vash's frown. "Was there a girl with you?"  
  
"Yes. She was the one who helped me onto the tomas."  
  
"Hmm. Well, that reminds me. How did you get these burns?"  
  
"Er…you won't believe me if I told you."  
  
"Try me."  
  
"Ok…" Vash told Mom the events at the cottage without using names. He wasn't sure if he could trust Mom. He had trusted Monev to be a normal girl. Was this a normal woman?  
  
"Mmhmm," Mom blinked as the blonde man finished. "So, who are 'the short lady' and 'the tall brunette'?"  
  
"Um…can I trust you?"  
  
"Of course, dear."  
  
"Promise?"  
  
"Mother's promise. But I'm not making you." Vash nodded.  
  
"I'll trust you. The Brunette's name is Milly Thompson. The other's Meryl Strife." Mom's face paled. She stood quickly. Vash looked up at her. "Mom? What's wrong?"  
  
"I'll be back," her voice wavered a bit. She quickly walked out the wooden door. Uh-oh. Maybe I shouldn't have…shit! He swung his real arm out to throw off the blanket covering him, but his arm just flopped up and smacked his nose. Damn that aesthetic! He tried moving his robot arm. It moved smoothly. That's ONE good thing about this thing. He placed his floppy arm back into the covers and sighed. Shit. Shit indeed.  
  
"For once, you're actually thinking, boy."  
  
"Yes, Father."  
  
"Heal her up, and it'll be more fun. You really are my son." Chapel, now in his human form, rested a hand on Kenugre's shoulder.  
  
"Thank you Father." Kenugre bounded the shoulder with bandage and herbs. Meryl lay unconscious on her spread out sleeping shirt on the floor of a cave. Kenugre tried not to look at her bloodstained white bra and panties. He tried not to notice her heaving chest. He took a tomas-skin blanket and laid it on top of her. Chapel's hand gripped his son's shoulder hard, and snarled.  
  
"Why the hell you did that?"  
  
"So she can heal faster, and that means we can have fun faster as well," Kenugre winced. His father's hand loosened.  
  
"Yes, yes, I have forgotten," he stood, looking down at his son. "I'm gonna go hunting. You stay here and watch her."  
  
"Yes, Father."  
  
"Good boy." Chapel stalked out of the cave, chewing on his lip. He wanted to look at her more. Though small, her proportions are perfect. Snorting, he changed into his wolf form and trotted out, sniffing for tomases, or something. He set his jaw at the thought of tomas flesh. Same old food, every night. Ever since King Knives brought us here, those damn tomas are the only thing to eat, asides from humans. Growling, he approached a boulder. A thought occurred to him. Why not have a few of little foods?  
  
Smiling to himself, he sniffed around the rock, and heard something move below the rock. Placing his front paws on the side of the boulder, he pushed, digging his hind paws into the sand. The large rock tipped over and rolled to a side. Dust rose as the green-stripped wolf righted himself. Sniffing through the brown cloud, he scented a wriggling batch of lizards, adults and eggs. He dived into the mass, driven by his watering mouth for taste.  
  
Kenugre's round human ears perked, listening to the high-pitch screams of the lizards. He grimaced. He hated those screams. He sighed, and sat down beside the unconscious woman. He studied her face.  
  
"Who ever you are…please forgive me. I hate this. I hate my father. I hate this world. I'm sorry…to get you into trouble. I'm sorry…about my father," he said to her, not sure if she could even hear him. He tilted his head, looking at her at different angles. "You're beautiful, human. I don't want to eat such a pretty creature. I don't want to hurt you. Please, forgive me."  
  
He crawled over to her, placing a hand on her forehead and closed his eyes. He saw dark, purple clouds, signs of unconsciousness. He looked pass the clouds, and saw several blurry visions. A red blob with a yellow blotch on top of it was the strongest of them. Then he saw a darker figure that he recognized was a wolf. The rest were just splashes of colors, smells, and emotions. He opened his eyes and with drew his hand. His almond shaped eyes blinked. Who was that wolf? Decided to take a better look, he lowered his head till their forehead touched, and closed his eyes. Instantly, swirls of dark clouds engulfed him. It was cold. He half swam half ran through it, till the cloud thinned into a man. This man looked exactly like King Knives, except his hair and eyes are of a deeper shade. The tails of the man's red trench coat flared out in the unfelt winds of Meryl's mind. The man's fierce aqua eyes glared down the barrel of a big, silver handgun pointed straight at Kenugre. The man's eyes sent chills of fear down the young werewolf's spine. Then a column of silver light distorted the image of the man, and a bone-chilling howl filled Kenugre's ears.  
  
"AAOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" a black wolf leapt from the column at Kenugre. Kenugre changed into a wolf and dived below the leaping wolf. He rolled into a fighting stance. If he died in the realm of minds, his body would be of no mind. He wouldn't like that. The black wolf disappeared in the blackness that surrounds them. Kneugre's pale green eyes scanned around him, his pointed ears swiveling around, constantly alert.  
  
"Leave!" a whisper was screamed into his ears. He flattened his ears as his brain throbbed of the noise. His eyes watered from the pain. Sharp jaws clamped onto his throat, cutting off the air from his lungs. The whites of his eyes shone brightly as his swiped his clawed paws at nothing. Then the blackness began to turn white at the edges, and the whiteness swallowed up its opposite.  
  
The blue sky slowly grew out of the back of her eyelids. Soft, fluffy clouds drifted lazily on gentle winds. Milly blinked, and sat up stiffly. She was covered with sand. Then a green leaf filled with water clear as diamond was placed on her sandy hands. Suddenly feeling thirsty, she gulped down the cool water. After finishing, she looked around to see who gave it to her.  
  
"Good morning, miss," a boy about 12 sat on the bank of a clear pool of water. He had an old, worn bandage on his right cheek. He wore an off-white shirt with a pair of dirty brown overalls with a buckle missing.  
  
"Good morning," Milly said, smiling. "Who are you?"  
  
"M'name's Kait," he stuck out a grubby hand. "You?"  
  
"Milly Thompson, nice to meet you Kait," she shook his hand. "Where are we?"  
  
"Dunno," he shrugged. "I just wander. I was hiding here from that sandstorm when your tomas came up to me with you on it's back. These big, brown and green things blo—"  
  
"Trees?"  
  
"Yeah, those. Well, they blocked the wind, which was good. These really are trees?"  
  
"Yup. And those small ones are bushes. I heard that once, they made little ball-like food called 'berries', though I'm not sure if that's true…"  
  
"Green things are weird. Jerky?"  
  
"No thank you. I'm just thirsty."  
  
"That's no problem. There's plenty of water here," he motioned to the spring beside him.  
  
"What are you doing out here all by yourself? Where are your parents?" Milly asked as she refilled her leaf.  
  
"Oh, just going where I want to. I hope I'll bump into someone that I met before," he chewed on his jerky, not answering Milly's second question.  
  
"Oh." Milly sipped her water, noticing he didn't answer her. She decided that was a touchy subject, so she won't go on.  
  
"I wonder where these trees came from. Last time I past by here, it was bare as everywhere else," he took another bite of jerky.  
  
"The town near here struck an underground lake."  
  
"Lake?"  
  
"A place where water from rivers are collected. Then, I guess the sand around here is full of seeds, and the water woke them up, or something."  
  
"How do you know so much?"  
  
"I listen to my teachers." She smiled.  
  
"Oh. I had a teacher once. He told us about stuff, but he made it real boring, so I stopped going and I learnt from my da—uh, from my friends and my own experience," he looked away, playing with the sand. Milly nodded, finished her water, and began to scoop up water to clean her face. She bent over to reach for the end of her coat to wipe her face dry, when she felt her pajamas. She was still in her PJs. So she used her sleeves.  
  
"Is the storm gone now?"  
  
"Yeah, it's been gone since sunrise."  
  
"Ok," she got up, brushing sand off. "I'll be going now. Thank you for your help Kait!"  
  
"No problem, miss."  
  
"Hope you well in your wanderings!" Milly turned, walking into the thick forest. She heard her tomas eating, and she followed the sounds. She found her tomas munching on the leaves of bush at the base of a tree. "Wolfy!"  
  
"Hnnnng?" the tomas lifted his long head, his mouth full of the leaves. The leaves flew out his mouth when Milly came over and hugged him tight around the neck.  
  
"I love you so much, Wolfy! Thank you! Maybe my honey's spirit must've gone into you!" she smiled, hoping what she said was true. The tomas snorted and shook his mane, but he rubbed his head affectionately against her shoulder. She has been a good mistress. She mounted him, and rode out of the forest. Instantly, the sun's light fell over them, warming their bodies. The town rested within the crest of trees. She hoped Vash is there, and chucked the worn reins.  
  
Meryl gained conscious. She felt something hot on her forehead, and she smelled sweat. She snapped her eyes opened, staring at the closed eyelids of someone hovering over her, their foreheads touching. She blinked as this sinks into her still foggy mind, and her eyes widened when her senses came back to her.  
  
"RAAAAAAHHHH!" she screamed with fury as her leg bent up and straightened, kicking the guy off her, and without missing a beat, she sat up, letting her right fist fly at his cheek. The young man was sent to a side, falling face first onto the cave floor. Meryl pants as she catches her breathe, and grimaced as pain shot from her shoulder to the far corners of her body.  
  
Kenugre got up, rather shakily, from the ground, rubbing his left cheek, where a bruise was forming. Dirt stuck to the right side of his face. He lean against the wall, staring at Meryl in disbelief. Where did she come from?! Wait…I'm still alive! Damn that wolf, she nearly killed me. Then this human wakes up, she saved me! But she almost killed me as well…. Great, my head is starting to hurt…she saved me and killed me…should I thank her or knock her out again? She seems safer when she was out cold…  
  
Meryl noticed him staring with those pale green eyes of his. She looked down, and turned red. She quickly covered herself as best as she could and glared up at him.  
  
"Pervert!" she hugged herself tighter, a muscle under her left eye twitched. That seemed to snap Kenugre out of his thoughts.  
  
"What?! You have a lot of nerve, human bitch! I was fixing your shoul—!"  
  
"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU JUST CALLED ME?!" Meryl was on Kenugre in a flash, her hands around his neck, choking him. He stared wide-eyed at her as he toppled over under her weight. This unbalanced the furious Meryl as well, and Kenugre took advantage of that. He rolled so he was on top of her, one hand holding two of hers, and the other clasped tightly over her mouth. He perked his ears, trying to hear if his father is coming back. Before long though, Meryl bit down hard into his palm. Tears welled up in his eyes as he suppressed his yelp into a squeak.  
  
"SHHHHHH!!"  
  
"MmmphnnnMMMM!!" she wouldn't let go of his hand. He closed his eyes, concentrating on his ears. He tried to drown out the woman, but still her constant growling made it hard for him. He burrowed his brows together, until he heard the unmistakable sound of pawsteps and the dragging of a large carcass. In a panic, he scooped up Meryl, letting go of her hands, and headed off deeper into the cave, his hand still over Meryl's mouth. 


End file.
